Rant/Rave: Mug Cake

I saw this on pinterest earlier this week. I had come home from school and was procrastinating work.  I had just finished dinner but had no dessert (ridiculous I know). I had wanted to try a mug cake since they have been all over pinterest lately and I decided it was time. 

The recipe (from babble, see above link) was simple enough:

Salted Caramel Mug Cake

4 tablespoons all purpose flour

4 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg – beaten

3 tablespoons skim milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 salted caramels

--

1. Into a small bowl add: flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt, egg, milk, and vegetable oil. Mix to combine.

2. Pour mixture into a regular sized coffee mug. Drop caramels into center of mixture one at a time.

3. Microwave on high for one minute and 30 seconds. If needed {if cake batter is still gooey}, microwave on high for up to an additional 30 seconds.

--

So I gathered the ingredients

Mixed up the dry ones

Added the wet ones (I added vanilla, obvi)

Poured it into the mug, along with some chocolate chips (another addition)

And then some salted caramel sauce from TJ's (that stuff is pure heaven fyi)

I followed the directions like a good girl and 'baked' it in the microwave

All of the above looks and sounds delicious, no? 

So why the rant? Because it's crap. Utter crap. Disgusting terribleness. The simple truth of the matter is that you cannot have your cake and eat it to...if the cake you desire is to be quick and delicious. 

Nope. This cake is certainly quick, easy to make too. But it is far from delicious.  

First off it cooks in a mug in a microwave. Think about what happens when you reheat something in the microwave: the top gets warm while the middle is still cold. Now let's apply this to cake: the top cooks quickly the middle still gooey. So what do you do? Cook it a little more. 

And then what do you have: overcooked cake.  

The flavor is off too, slightly burnt but also bitter, like the baking powder didn't fully cook. And the texture is the worst - rubbery. Finally, the concept is off: a mug's worth of cake is actually a lot of cake, probably like two proper slices, not a single serving like you would suspect. 

The whole thing is bad news bears. Try if you like, maybe you'll have better luck, 

but I have settled on the simple truth: you can't rush a good baked good. 

They are one of life's small joys so take the time to make one properly, and you will be rewarded.

xoxo